The present invention relates to improved tooling for supporting a workpiece during a machining process. Such support tooling is important in applications where the workpiece must receive accurate centering and leveling support. For instance, the design of support tooling is critical for balancing machines used in providing either static unbalance measurements or dynamic unbalance measurements of workpieces of specified shape and geometry. Such workpiece support tooling must be specifically adapted to the specified geometry and weight of the workpiece. Thus, for every given workpiece, a special support tool must be designed and manufactured. If a given machine is intended to be used with more than one style of workpiece, different tooling must be provided to be interchanged when the workpiece changeover occurs. Very seldom does the tooling designed for one specific type of workpiece have the necessary dimensional components to provide proper support for a second specified type of workpiece.
Workpiece support tooling design is critical in many machine operations in that it must provide for proper centering and leveling of the workpiece on the machine in order to establish accuracy in the given machine operations. The workpiece support tooling of the present invention provides a unique quick-change support tooling easily adaptable to various geometries and weights of workpieces and capable of providing appropriate support, leveling and centering of the workpiece on a machine during machine operations.